State Fire Marshal K-9 Barry succumbs to surgical complications

BATON ROUGE– The State Fire Marshal’s Office is mourning the death of one of its explosive ordinance detection (EOD) K-9 officers following a surgery to remove a large mass in his stomach.

Barry, a 10-year-old black Labrador who joined the SFM in November 2012, succumbed to complications from the surgery Tuesday morning, December 4.

Barry joined the SFM from the U.S. Marine Corps where he served two tours of duty overseas.

K-9 Barry served the Lafayette and Alexandria areas, alongside his handler Cpl. Mitch Trahan, where his duties included detection sweeps at major events, public facilities and educational campuses. The pair was awarded K-9 Team of the Year honors in 2014.

“Just a few weeks ago, we highlighted the significance our K-9 teams have on the success of this agency’s mission to save lives. K-9 Barry was an integral member of our K-9 unit as one of only two EOD-specialized dogs,” said State Fire Marshal Chief H. “Butch” Browning, “But when an unexpected loss like this occurs, it also shows how much these K-9 officers become part of the SFM family, especially their handlers’ family.”

“We will all miss K-9 Barry and we thank him for his service to the nation and the great state of Louisiana,” said Browning.